Struggling Bam says critics 'make me the scapegoat' for Heat's 0-4 start

Bam Adebayo says he is being singled out for the new-look Miami Heat's worst start to a season in nearly two decades.

Adebayo said Monday that "outside" critics have made "me the scapegoat" after the Heat fell to 0-4 with their 113-109 loss in Miami to the Dallas Mavericks.

"Can't overthink basketball," said Adebayo, who scored just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. "For me, my shot not going in. I'm not not gonna overthink that.

"You know, it's funny how the outside noise wants to make me the scapegoat. But when the tables turn, just all that energy -- when the energy shifts -- just be prepared for that."

Adebayo is averaging just 11.8 points and 7.3 rebounds on 40% shooting, including 16.7% from 3-point range, through his first four games this season. The Heat captain was expected to have a slight dip in production after Miami's blockbuster offseason trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Adebayo also stressed that it's still very early in the season and that he is confident that the Heat will turn things around to meet their lofty standards.

"I got expectations for myself, but, obviously, the outside noise got expectations for us," he said. "So for me, I know what I'm capable of. I'm not gonna overthink that. We're 0-4 right now. I'd rather it be right now than this be midway through the season or in April. Because what if we go on a 10 game winning streak? Then how does the noise change?"

When asked whether Antetokounmpo's presence is impacting his performance, Adebayo repeatedly cited his own poor long-range shooting.

"This year, I'm just taking more threes," he said. "I mean that's that's really it. But like I said, it'll fall, and when it does ... we'll see a shift."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra echoed Adebayo's sentiments, saying that the three-time All-Star "just needs to see the ball go in."

"He had some good, clean looks," Spoelstra said. "Just wasn't able to capitalize on them. But I know his makeup and his resiliency. We'll work together to find a way to get him aggressive in his spots where he's where he's comfortable."

The Heat squad collectively has struggled to perform cohesively; Monday's loss marked the third time this season that Antetokounmpo was the only Miami starter with a positive true net rating for the game, according to ESPN Research.

Antetokounmpo, one of three key newcomers to Miami this season, acknowledged that the entire team is still adjusting to playing with each other.

"It's not just Bam, it's everybody," said Antetokounmpo, who recorded his first triple-double with the Heat on Monday. "You know, everybody -- we try to figure out where we fit in and what we gotta do. Kind of try to not step on our toes."

Heat guard Davion Mitchell said Adebayo needs to be "more aggressive" offensively but added that he thinks the Adebayo-Antetokounmpo partnership will eventually work.

"I think I got to do a better job of not letting [Adebayo] get lost in the game," Mitchell said. "He got to be more aggressive. I think that he will. He's still trying to figure it out because I said this before -- I think him and Giannis play in the same spaces, and then when Giannis is on the floor, he's on the floor. He can't be in those spaces, and but it's something to get used to."

The Heat, who are off to their worst start since losing their first five games of the 2007-08 season, have a road game Wednesday against the Hawks and a home game Friday against the Pacers before a five-game West Coast trip starting next Monday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

"We have the type of guys that have the toughness to be able to handle some adversity, and collectively we'll get together and continue to forge ahead," Spoelstra said. "That's all you can do right now. Nobody cares about what's going on now with our our scores. The league ... isn't going to bail us out, so it's up to us to change it."